"Gerard, where are you? Is work keeping you late again?" Lilah's voice carried a mix of concern and confusion over the line.

Recently, Gerard had made a habit of visiting her right after work, and his uncharacteristic delay had prompted her call.

Bexley seized the moment to inform her. “Lilah, this is Bexley. I'm attending to Mr. Harris. He's quite inebriated tonight!"

"Drunk?" Lilah's disbelief was evident, given Gerard's well-known capacity for alcohol, honed through countless social gatherings.

"Yes, and unfortunately, Mr. Harris’ phone battery is about to die,"

Bexley added before promptly ending the call and shutting off the phone.

Approaching Gerard's side once more, Bexley braced herself as he seemed on the verge of being sick again.

"Gerard, let me assist you-" she offered, though his body weight was more than she'd anticipated.

Gerard's familiar scent enveloped her, and despite the circumstances, she found herself drawn to his drowsy charm.

Her momentary distraction was abruptly shattered as Gerard became sick again, his attire and her newly purchased dress caught in the unfortunate event.

Bexley's reaction was a mix of shock and resignation. "Gerard, let's get this tie off you," she proposed, reaching for the soiled garment with a sense of determined care.

Upon hearing Bexley's voice, Gerard's fog of inebriation momentarily lifted, his senses invaded by a scent that sharply contrasted with his expectations. "You're not Lilah—-" he remarked, a mix of confusion and distaste in his voice, as he made his way to the bathroom in search of clarity and sobriety.

Bexley, concerned for his stability, cautioned him to take care.

“Gerard, be careful!"

But her assistance was brushed aside as he staggered off without her help.

Lilah, left puzzled by the abrupt end to the call and Bexley's unexpected involvement, couldn't help but wonder why Gerard would seek Bexley's aid while intoxicated.

The situation fed into her apprehensions, though she tried to rationalize that perhaps Gerard had mistakenly reached out to Bexley.

The more Lilah dwelled on the matter, the more her unease grew Intent on getting to the bottom of things and finding herself thwarted by Gerard's now-unreachable phone, she decided on a different approach and reached out to Emma for help.

"Emma, there are two individuals I need information on immediately," she said, determined to unravel the mystery.

"Of course, Miss Phillips," Emma responded, ready to assist. “Who are we looking into? I'll start right away."

A gnawing intuition gripped Lilah's gut, compelling her to dispatch Emma to unearth Gerard's whereabouts.

After concluding the call, she dressed herself. As the sky darkened outside, so did the ominous foreboding in her gut.

An hour elapsed before Emma's call pierced the silence.

“I've pinpointed Mr. Harris' location. Sending you the address," Emma relayed.